Young Living Incense – A Great Addition to Yoga and Meditation Practices

When used correctly, incense is a wonderful addition to yoga and meditation practices. It helps create a soothing, calm and relaxing atmosphere and can aid in deepening focus, allowing the mind to become more open. It can also promote relaxation and encourage sleep. Many different essential oils are used in incense making it possible to find the perfect fragrance to meet your needs. For example, lavender is well known for its calming properties and can be helpful for those who have trouble falling asleep or that are feeling stressed.

In general, incense is made from a variety of plant materials and can include resins, tree bark, leaves and roots or a number of flowering herbs including nag champa, sandalwood and frankincense. They are usually pulverised to form a powdered substance and then binded with an adhesive material. Essential oils, however, differ from incense as they aren’t meant to be burned and can’t be ingested, instead being diluted with a carrier oil to use for massage therapy or added to an aromatherapy diffuser.

Frankincense is an aromatic resin that can be tapped from trees to produce high-quality incense. It is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian scroll dating from around 1500 BCE, and is still used today by religious leaders during ceremonial services. Young Living’s frankincense resin is sourced from Boswellia carterii trees located in northern Africa, near the Arabian Peninsula, and then steam distilled to yield essential oil.

The aroma of incense can help reduce stress and anxiety by causing you to breathe more deeply, slowing your pace and helping your muscles relax. It can also be beneficial in decreasing the level of cortisol, a hormone linked to stress. Inhaling the aroma can have a positive effect on blood pressure, particularly if it’s combined with other techniques for stress relief such as exercise and meditation.

While inhaling smoke from burning incense can be detrimental to your lungs, too much smoke and leaving incense unattended are more serious concerns. Some studies have linked long-term incense burning to squamous cell lung cancer, but others haven’t shown a clear link between them.

For the best results, choose incense sticks that are sustainably grown and all-natural, and always burn them with care. Be sure not to touch the stick while it’s burning and keep it away from anything that can catch fire. It’s also important to make sure the thurible is placed on a heat-resistant surface or in an incense burner designed for it.